New site!

Join me on my revamped blog at http://peteeyre.com!


Join me on my revamped blog at http://peteeyre.com!

Now Blogging at MotorhomeDiaries.com and Fr33Agents.com

If you haven't heard, I left Bureaucrash to pursue the Motorhome Diaries, a project that places three guys in a RV to travel the country in search of freedom. Also, I'm working with Fr33 Agents, which focuses on individuals and organizations involved with the freedom movement.

Now blogging over at Bureaucrash.com

Since we restructured things at Bureaucrash I'm going to spending less time blogging here at LibertyIsMyHomie and more time blogging on Bureaucrash.com. Only so many hours in a day and I think (hope!) my writing can have a bigger impact there.

I'll still post non-liberty related content here (i.e. metal, bicycling, some books, etc.) but it'll be less-frequent than before.

Greenspan: Proof that Government Corrupts

A few weeks ago I literally shouted out loud in disgust when I read that Alan Greenspan, who was addressing a congressional committee investigating the causes of the mortgage crisis, basically ceded to a that he made a "mistake" during his helm of the Fed, inferring that there was not enough regulation. In fact, Greenspan went so far as to note that "free markets did break down." This, from a guy seen by some as the "High Priest" of capitalism.

Greenspan's recent statements are a far cry from his previous principled stance. For example, in "The Assault on Integrity", an essay included in Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal compiled by Ayn Rand, Greenspan penned:

Government regulation is not an alternative means of protecting the consumer. I does not build quality into goods, or accuracy into information. Its sole 'contribution' is to substitute force and fear for incentive as the 'protector' of the consumer. . . The hallmark of collectivists is their deep-rooted distrust of freedom and of the free-market process. . .

It appears as though Greenspan was either corrupted his time spent in government or that he was leaned on to be a fall guy -- to take some heat from those still in office and still at the helm of the programs and agencies responsible for this mess.

To continue: Is our present situation a result of market failure? I think not. To oversimplify just a bit, fiat money and government programs that distorted the market and produced unintended consequences are to blame. Fortunately some smart folks have already done great work explaining why this is the case, such as those over at The Austrian Economists blog. Also, check out this video featuring Peter Shiff who in 2006 made a pretty accurate prediction on this issue (as did others years ago, but they were dismissed by politicians and bureaucrats):

DC Examiner Hypes Bureaucrash

Last Friday Bureaucrash and I got a little plug in the DC Examiner. It's a solid piece -- the only thing I'd change would be to replace the word "Libertarian" with "libertarian", as the former is about the Libertarian Party (which I am not active with) and the latter is about the political philosophy (which, if you've spent any time around me, you know I live and breathe).

And yes, "Freeman" is actually the authors first name. Pretty badass, I know.

Head over to Bureaucrash.com for more (and be sure to click the "Social" tab).

3 Minute Interview- Peter Eyre

By Freeman Klopott
Examiner Staff Writer 11/14/08

Peter Eyre first came to the Washington area as an intern for the Cato Institute, and he’s now the “crasher-in-chief” of Bureaucrash, a Libertarian-minded organization that spreads its political leanings by interrupting protests that favor what the group sees as big government action. Bureaucrash, which is now part of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, runs a social networking site that’s designed to bring together Libertarians from all over the world.

Is being based in Washington important for Bureaucrash?

We’ve been involved in getting our message out at protests internationally, but in the past few years we have become more D.C.-centric, and that was part of why we moved into D.C. It’s the seat of government, and there are plenty of opportunities to crash protests that favor a big government here. But we’re committed to the fact that we’re fighting for the rights of anyone, anywhere. People in some countries can feel isolated, and we want those people to know they have rights, too.

What have you done recently?

On [Nov. 6] we had a rally outside the Egyptian cultural center in D.C. for [an Egyptian] blogger who was thrown in jail for speaking out against the government. Egypt receives a lot of funding from the United States, and we wanted to put a spotlight on the possibility of American taxpayers paying for the Egyptian government to jail this man.

How did you get involved?

I started getting involved with Bureaucrash a few years ago, participating in crashes. It’s fun. We show up to rallies, say one in favor of a bill that would expand the scope of government, and we use things like street theater, T-shirts and signs to inject our outlook into the conversation. We take equal stabs at the left and the right and believe when the government is large, it takes away the freedom in our lives.

UK Schools Teach to the (Holocaust) Test

The British government has apparently taken the lead on having the most-PC public schools around. Last week it was announced that under a new program, each school will employ a "Holocaust specialist" to oversee uniform teaching of the issue to students. Additionally, the article notes that the specialist "will ask teachers for their definition of 'Holocaust' and whether they think teaching children about it is important."

And though Britain does not have a law against Holocaust denial as of this writing (as do 13 European Union members), they aren't too keen on it, having arrested and extradited individuals for governments of other countries and even getting in the action themselves.

As I've said many times before, I'm not pro-Holocaust denial, but I am pro-free speech and against government-imposed censorship in all its forms. Because it is unpopular speech that must be protected.

But now, the British government is going to steal money from productive members of society to indoctrinate the official stance about the issue into children that they've mandated to be in school. That doesn't sound too free to me.

Surprise! U.S. Military Used "Secret Order" Signed by Rumsfield and Bush

Funny how the U.S. government disregards nation-state sovereignity when convenient -- brazenly disregarding the U.S. Constitution, which they swore to uphold.

As Jim Bovard might ask, I wonder if the Obama Administration will investigate this and all other violations of the Bush Administration. I bet not, as Obama and his cronies will do much the same. Maybe not in foreign policy, but definitely in Constitution-violating ways.

The problem is not one of actors (i.e. the president or other State actors) but of institutions (i.e. protection from the profit and loss mechanism, the claim to the legitimate use of force and taxation). A better alternative: a voluntary society in which individuals are able to do as they please so long as they don't harm the equal negative rights of another. Or as Thoreau put it: strike the root.

Carnifex: Deathcore Band of the Week

Perhaps the best export from San Diego since As I Lay Dying, deathcore band Carnifex rips it up. Check 'em out if you're so inclined:

American Voters Piss Off DEA

On November 6th, voters in five states passed 10 of the 11 initiatives that lessened the penalties associated with marijuana possession or allowed for its use for medicinal reasons.

A full run-down has been compiled by the good folks at the Marijuana Policy Project.

Take that DEA!

Hopefully this overwhelming show of support against your rights-restricting, un-winnable policies will cause you to rethink your actions. And if your conscience doesn't cause you to step down, hopefully continued opposition to your mission will cause your funding will dry up (and don't worry, us freedom fighters will continue to speak out against your un-Constitutional money-generating use of asset forfeiture).

Keep Your Mail from Government's Prying Eyes

By using Earth Class Mail. Basically, instead of having your mail sent to your residence or a P.O. Box, it's sent to Earth Class Mail. This is especially good for folks who are on the road (as you can view your mail after its been scanned by Earth Class Mail reps) or those who wish to stay off government's radar.

According to the company:

No matter where our customers are, they simply log in to their secure Earth Class Mail account to view scanned images of their mail envelopes. They then decide which items to have opened and securely scanned so they can read the contents online, and which items should be recycled, shredded, archived, or forward-shipped to them wherever they're located – all with a few clicks of a mouse.

Thanks to Jason for making me aware of this service.

MA Voters Choose to Allow Government to Continue Stealing From Them

On December 6th MA voters overwhelmingly voted down a measure that would have phased out the state's income tax. Unsurprisingly, state officials and those fearing a loss of state revenue (i.e. contractors on the government dole) implemented a massive campaign, reportedly outspending advocates of the repeal of the income tax by a 10-to-1 margin, that centered on scare-tactics about the "devastating" effect it would have on government services.

Still, what the hell! Hopefully some of those rationale folks who voted for the repeal of the income tax vote with their feet and move to New Hampshire, an area that not only has no income tax but the lowest tax burden in the lower 48 states.

Bush and Harper Governments Commit Troops in Emergency Situations

Why haven't we heard of this agreement, which was signed last February, before now?! Reminds me a bit of the book Twilight...

Some claim that this agreement advances the North American Union (NAU) a European Union-like political superstate of Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. In the circles I run with the idea of the NAU has placed folks in two distinct camps: total opposition or whole-hearted approval. To oversimplify a bit, the former group argues that it will help the free flow of goods and people across borders while the latter group believes it is a step toward a one-world government rather than decentralization.

On a related note, if the NAU were to be implemented it'd mean a Euro-like currency, which some have dubbed the "amero", would replace the Canadian and American dollars and Mexican peso. That'd be pretty convenient for the governments of the three countries to further hide their fiat currency, adding yet another layer to the thoroughly false foundations.

Below is a video by Hal Turner, who claims to have received ameros printed at the Denver mint. Obviously there's a lot of different thoughts on the accuracy of this and related "evidence" so think for yourself and in the least, just be aware that there are folks out there that strongly believe this is happening behind the scenes: